Coach George Allen: A Football Life

George Allen (1918-1990) was a legendary football coach who built winning teams at both the college and professional levels. This biography examines his applied philosophy of coaching, controversial relationships with team owners, and historic divorce from the Chicago Bears. It also analyzes his two most important plays and provides appendices with NFL trades, draft picks, statistical breakdowns, and a comparison with other top coaches of his era.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 277 pages
Publication date: 09 December 2022
Publisher: McFarland & Co Inc

George Allen (1918-1990) was a legendary football coach who consistently built winning teams at both the college and professional levels. This first full-length biography examines his applied philosophy of coaching through comprehensive coverage of his tenures at the collegiate level. His controversial relationships with team owners are detailed, along with his historic divorce from the Chicago Bears. The two most important plays of Allen's career are analyzed. Appendices provide a list of Allen's NFL trades, his key draft picks, a statistical breakdown of his NFL offenses, and a comparison with other top coaches of his era.

Allen's coaching philosophy was based on a combination of discipline, hard work, and a commitment to excellence. He believed that the key to success was to develop a strong team culture that emphasized teamwork, respect, and accountability. He also believed in the importance of player development, and he spent a lot of time working with his players to improve their skills and knowledge of the game.

At the collegiate level, Allen had a successful coaching career at several universities, including Washington State, Idaho, and UCLA. He led Washington State to two Rose Bowl victories and was named the Pacific Coast Conference Coach of the Year in 1962. At Idaho, he led the Vandals to two conference championships and was named the Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year in 1966. At UCLA, he led the Bruins to two national championships and was named the National Coach of the Year in 1975.

Allen's success at the collegiate level was due in part to his ability to develop strong relationships with his players and his team owners. He was known for his strong personality and his ability to command respect from his players and his coaches. He was also known for his ability to make difficult decisions and his willingness to take risks.

At the professional level, Allen had a less successful coaching career, but he still managed to build winning teams. He coached the San Diego Chargers, the Washington Redskins, and the Seattle Seahawks. He led the Chargers to two Super Bowl appearances, but they lost both games. He led the Redskins to two Super Bowl victories, but they lost both games. He led the Seahawks to their only Super Bowl victory, in 1992.

Allen's relationships with team owners were often contentious. He was known for his strong personality and his tendency to clash with team owners over personnel decisions and coaching philosophies. He was also known for his willingness to trade players and his willingness to make difficult decisions.

One of the most controversial aspects of Allen's career was his divorce from the Chicago Bears. Allen had been the head NFL coach of the Bears for 12 seasons, and he had led them to two Super Bowl victories. However, in 1984, he was fired by team owner George McCaskey, and he filed for divorce. The divorce was highly publicized, and it was widely believed that McCaskey had fired Allen because of his strong personality and his tendency to clash with team owners.

Despite his controversial relationships with team owners, Allen remains a beloved figure in the football community. He is known for his coaching philosophy, his player development, and his commitment to excellence. He is also known for his two most important plays of his career, the "Hail Mary" pass and the "Sea of Hands" play.

The "Hail Mary" pass was a play that Allen called during a game against the Miami Dolphins in 1983. The play was designed to throw a long pass downfield to wide receiver John Stallworth, who was running down the sideline. The pass was caught by Stallworth, and it was ruled a touchdown, giving the Chargers a 45-44 victory. The play was widely praised for its creativity and its ability to overcome a significant deficit.

The "Sea of Hands" play was a play that Allen called during a game against the San Francisco 49ers in 1988. The play was designed to throw a long pass downfield to wide receiver Steve Largent, who was running down the sideline. The pass was caught by Largent, and it was ruled a touchdown, giving the Seahawks a 23-17 victory. The play was widely praised for its creativity and its ability to overcome a significant deficit.

In conclusion, George Allen (1918-1990) was a legendary football coach who consistently built winning teams at both the college and professional levels. His coaching philosophy was based on a combination of discipline, hard work, and a commitment to excellence. He was known for his strong personality and his ability to command respect from his players and his coaches. He was also known for his controversial relationships with team owners and his historic divorce from the Chicago Bears. Despite his controversial relationships with team owners, Allen remains a beloved figure in the football community. He is known for his coaching philosophy, his player development, and his commitment to excellence. He is also known for his two most important plays of his career, the "Hail Mary" pass and the "Sea of Hands" play.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781476675008